Pictures can be a wonderful stimulus for producing language. They help prod the pen and tongue into action when inspiration might not come otherwise. Well chosen, they can provide a limited control of the subject matter while still leaving room for individual creativity. They also can be used to create projects of which both the students and the teacher can be proud. They make great materials for showing off the students and the program to parents, visitors and other students. Most of the following suggestions can be used as either oral or written activities. The secret is to ban almost all writing if they are going to talk about the pictures. If you don’t, they can’t resist reading. My standard instruction is “Your pictures are your notes.”
Ideas
Family tree: Students create a family tree (real or imaginary) with pictures or symbols for each member. Then they must write or say two sentences describing each person.
“When I was little”: Students bring a picture of themselves when they were little and must describe themselves in the picture and at that age, using the correct past tense, of course.
Picture stories #1: Students are given a series of pictures which tell a story. Theymust tell the story in their own words with any appropriate elaborations. This was for years standard preparation for the AP exam, but there’s no reason why simple pictures can’t be used with lower levels.
Picture stories #2: Students are given three unrelated pictures. They must create a story which ties the pictures together.
Picture stories #3: Students are given one picture, preferably, complicated, humorous or intriguing. They must tell what was happening when the picturewas snapped (good practice for the imperfect) or what happened either before or after it was taken.
Dream house: Students find or draw pictures of their ideal house. For beginners they can just say what is there. More advanced students should tell why they have made their selections, what they would use the rooms for, and what is important or essential to them (more subjunctive).
New identity: Students select a picture of an interesting looking person. They take on the personality of that person and must create an autobiography.
Weather report: Students create pictures for a 5 day weather report. They then present the report to the class, giving predictions, temperatures and suggestions for activities.
Give students comic strips with the captions whited out. They create their own dialogues.
Students either create their own original story or retell a well-known fable, fairy tale or children's story with illustrations.
Writing and Speaking Activities & Projects
Pictures can be a wonderful stimulus for producing language. They help prod the pen and tongue into action when inspiration might not come otherwise. Well chosen, they can provide a limited control of the subject matter while still leaving room for individual creativity. They also can be used to create projects of which both the students and the teacher can be proud. They make great materials for showing off the students and the program to parents, visitors and other students. Most of the following suggestions can be used as either oral or written activities. The secret is to ban almost all writing if they are going to talk about the pictures. If you don’t, they can’t resist reading. My standard instruction is “Your pictures are your notes.”Ideas